(2/25) Carroll Valley Borough Council spent a decent amount of time talking trash at its February meeting.
Park’s Garbage Service currently removes refuse from citizens’ homes. Borough Manager Dave Hazlett said Park’s receives many complaints, but he isn’t sure that another company could do any better.
"Park’s is still, by far, better than any company we have ever had," Hazlett said.
One possible issue, Hazlett said, is that the borough does not allow Park’s to pick up trash earlier than 5:30 in the moring. He believes that if the borough would allow the trucks to traverse roads throughout the night, service would be better. Councilman Cody Gilbert agreed, adding that the approach may be safer.
"I am sorry if the trash truck woke you up in the middle of the night, but that’s better than having a collision with a school bus," he said.
Carroll Valley’s contract with a single hauler has many benefits, Hazlett said. In a memo to council, he explained the approach is cheaper, safer for the environment due to reduced emissions, involves less confusion about collection days, reduces noise and traffic, increases recycling efficiency, and eliminates trash cans out on different days.
Assistant Borough Manager Gayle Marthers said her son lives in a community where residents are allowed to choose their trash company, and it leads to her granddog waking up in the middle of the night four nights a week.
The Council concluded it would like to explore maintaining a single hauler. The Park’s contract expires in March 2026 so the business would need to go out for bid and awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. Marthers said she will work with neighboring municipalities to do a joint bid as they have done in the past. Joint bids, she explained, usually lead to savings.
The council said they would continue to discuss whether they want the garbage hauler to work all hours of the night.
The Council also voted to advertise an ordinance requiring property owners to display their official street address. Hazlett said the law was previously in the zoning ordinance but erroneously removed during the latest revision. Mathews said the law benefits citizens when emergency responders need to find their home.
"If you don’t put clear numbers for your home, your service is going to be delayed," Mathews said. "That could mean the difference between life and death."
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